What's That? - a McRoll in the REAL World story
by Mari217
Summary: Steve and Catherine experience Angie's latest phase...


_Sammy and Ilna - love and hugs always. Sammy … just ...YAY!_

 _REALMcRollers and Readers - Sammy is feeling better - thanks for all the good wishes and prayers for her. Xoxox_

 _This one's for my sweetie, Ryan, because a 10 second video clip his daddy posted inspired it._

* * *

 **What's That?**

"Hopefully we'll wrap in a couple of hours," Steve said as he patted Cammie's shoulder and scratched her ears. "Arnical's supposedly ready to talk."

"Good. I'm sorry you've got to go back out on Saturday afternoon, but hopefully it's quick." Catherine pecked his lips. "Angie, come say 'bye, bye' to Daddy," She called to the toddler who was tearing around the living room while holding onto her stuffed aardvark.

Angie stopped running, made a wobbly dive against her daddy's legs and pointed to the badge at his waist. "What dat?" She looked from one parent to the other.

"That's Daddy's badge, so he can catch all the bad guys." Catherine grinned as the toddler considered her reply, but pointed again.

" _What_ dat?"

"That's my badge." Steve told her. "Baaaadge." he drew out.

"Batch," she said, repeating it to herself. When she seemed satisfied, she paused a few seconds and pointed to his leg. "What dat?"

"That's my holster," he answered and grinned at their daughter's newest phase as she turned and ran back towards her mommy and clapped with glee. "Mama?"

"Yes, baby girl?" Catherine squatted down and reached out a hand, guiding her in for a hug when she was close enough.

"Dat, Mama? What dat?" She touched Catherine's earring.

"Gentle, baby. That's Mommy's earring."

Angie touched the small, white gold hoop, repeated, "Oooh," and wriggled away to toddle across the living room to where her godfather had just let himself in.

"Daaaaaaanoo!"

"Aaaaaannngie!" he replied in kind with a smile.

When she reached him, he lifted her for a hug and she indicated the keys dangling from his hand. "What dat?"

"Car keys. See? They make the car go." He rattled them before looking at his partner. "Ah, we've reached the 20 questions stage, have we?"

"Ah eeees," Angie repeated, touching them.

Danny kissed her cheek til she giggled. "These are Uncle Danno's car keys, but your daddy uses them to drive me insane." He smirked at his own joke and glanced at Catherine. "How many questions in a row has she hit?"

"Gotta be … ten at least in the last few minutes." She shared an amused look with Steve. "She started asking what things were a couple of days ago and then just today she really got on a roll."

Danny smiled. "See that repeating? Grace did the same thing. She's making sure she understands the answers, right, smart girl?" He bounced her in his arms and she laughed again. "Another one of Grace's favorites was 'why'. She was a little older than Angie for that, but from the minute I got home until she'd fall asleep she'd ask why. 'Why does Winnie the Pooh wear a shirt but no pants? Why is thunder loud? Why can't we have cotton candy for dinner…" He shook his head at the memory of his daughter as a little girl. "It's exhausting after a week or two but then they just stop the phase and … you kinda miss it." He winked at Catherine and placed Angie on her feet. "Till a new phase starts and you get caught up in that one."

* * *

That evening, Steve got home as Catherine and Angie were having dinner. As she took a bite, the grinning toddler held up her food and asked, "What dat?"

"That's a yummy carrot." Catherine tapped the high chair tray. "Let's eat it, okay?" She glanced at Steve, who asked, "Still at it?" before kissing them both hello.

"Oh yes. She's been asking about everything. And I do mean everything. Since you left. She stopped for her nap and woke up asking what the light switch was." She chuckled.

Steve grabbed a plate and sat on Angie's other side. He no sooner took a bite of grilled chicken when a little hand waved and his daughter asked, "What dat?"

Not long afterwards, when dinner was complete, "What dat?" accompanied a Catherine-like head tilt when her daddy placed a pudding cup in front of her.

"It's your pudding. Banana, your favorite." He grinned as Angie dipped her spoon in for a heaping portion. The toddler got most of it in her mouth and grinned around the utensil, saying "Mmmm".

Catherine bent to kiss the headful of soft curls. "I guess pudding's too yummy to stop and question every bite, huh?"

At the last spoonful, Angie banged one hand and her spoon on the tray. "Mo!"

"No more pudding tonight, sweetie," her mother explained.

"Mo?" She held out the empty cup.

"Sorry, no more." Catherine made an 'all finished' gesture. "It's all gone. How about we play outside a little bit?"

"Dada." Angie patted Steve's arm as the huge eyes that were tending more towards his hazel color than their original bright blue or her mother's chocolate brown, locked onto his. "Dada, mo."

Catherine unbuckled the strap and lifted her out of the highchair. "McGarrett trait. Stubborn." She chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"McGarrett trait, _focused_." He countered with a smirk, and took Angie as Catherine cleaned the tray. Setting the little girl on her feet, he added, "Hey, she stopped asking …" He was about to mouth the words, "What's that" when she toddled up to the dog, who was holding her stuffed football.

Pointing to the toy, Angie smiled and said, "Caa-mee, what dat?" causing both Steve and Catherine to burst into laughter.

* * *

During her story time Angie was still asking away, pointing to characters on different pages of her books, but as she got closer to drifting off she focused her sleepy eyes on her father and pointed silently to Catherine's smiling face in a photo with a week old Angie.

Steve reached for the frame and brought it closer. "Who's that?" he asked her, picking up on the new inquisitiveness.

When she said "Mama," with a drowsy smile, he bent to kiss her forehead and nodded. "Good job, Angie, that's right. Wanna know something you'll _never_ have to question, baby girl?"

As he stood to gently place her in the crib, she held onto her bunny and repeated, "Mama," very softly, her gaze falling on Catherine.

He smiled at his wife as he said, "As far as mommies go, you've got the very best one."

# _End. Thanks for reading!_

* * *

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